APRIL 2016 TRAIL RUN --- COYOTE HILLS --- PARC & BARF

Sunday, April 17, 2016This month we meet the friendly East Bay running group with the oddly disturbing acronym, BARF (Bob & Rick's Funruns), for ourbiennial PARC & BARF at Coyote Hills Regional Park just across the Bay from Palo Alto. BARF typically brings a big group to this location so there will be pace groups with for all, from walkers to as fast as you like. The routes take us far out onto the East Bay levee system and then up into the rolling hills for a bit of a fartlek style run.

The variety (not all flat, not all hilly) and the expansive views seem to pull one along to the next junction and many find this to be an ideal place to tune speed and endurance. We'll be running alongside salt water wetlands and fresh water marsh, so there should be lots of wildlife to check out. Trail head parking is an easy 20 minute Dumbarton Bridge drive on Sunday mornings.

Don Edwards, where we start, is the nation's first urban National Wildlife Refuge featuring 30,000 acres of open bay, salt pond, salt marsh, mudflat, upland, and vernal pool habitats. The routes themselves are in the Coyote Hills Regional Park.

Meet at 8:30am for an 8:40am start for routes of either 7.25 or 11.25 miles. Very modest elevation gain on this month's routes.

Carpooling is encouraged: carpools depart at 8am from the parking lot at the end of Geng Road just off 101 at Embarcadero. Pls arrive 10 minutes earlier (7:50am) so that we can organize the rides. Here are gMaps directions to the trail head parking lot from Geng Road: http://goo.gl/maps/ueVVV

Where 2 Marshlands Rd., Fremont. (37.5320, -122.0727). No parking or access fees. Dogs (on leash) are only permitted on some trails.

Driving directions:

Take 84 East across the Dumbarton Bridge

Take the first exit after the Toll Plaza - Thornton Ave/Paseo Padre Pkwy exit.

Turn right onto Thornton Ave

After 0.6 miles, turn right onto Marshlands Rd.

After 0.5 miles, turn left at the stop sign into the S.F. Bay National Wildlife Refuge parking lot. (large, paved lot)

These are remote trail runs and so each runner is encouraged to carry at least one water bottle. Water is available nearby the start at the Don Edwards Visitor Center and at the Coyote Hills Visitor Center (approx. 8 miles)

We encourage runners of approximately the same ability and ambition form groups and be accountable for group members.

There will be a runners' potluck after the run, so please bring a healthy drink or snack to share.